Rotating spray device



Feb. 28, 1967 LORD, JR 3,306,541

' ROTATING SPRAY DEVICE Filed NOV. 16, 1964 United States Patent3,306,541 ROTATING SPRAY DEVICE Jay W. Lord, Jr., Wayne, Pa., assignorto Purex Corporation, Ltd., Lakewood, Califl, a corporation ofCalifornia Filed Nov. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 411,213 Claims. (Cl. 239230)This invention has to do with rotating spray devices operable to sprayliquids such as Water, cleaning solutions and the like, through a headwhich is rotated by a liquid driven motor contained within the body ofthe device.

More particularly, the invention is directed to improvements in a knowntype of spray device having a tubular body containing a driven shaftcarrying and passing liquid to the spray head, and a rotor-governor,specifically of a centrifugal type, by which rotational influences ofthe rotor-governor are transmitted to the driven shaft. Thus in relationto the rotor-governor the shaft is indirectly driven by way of therotor-governor as will later appear.

The performance of these known devices has been found objectionable byreason of the tendency of the spray head to rotate with suchproportionality to the liquid velocities through the device, as tocreate excessive rotational head speeds at desirably high liquidthroughputs notwithstanding functioning of the governor.

Accordingly my general object is to provide for a more desirable controlof the spray head rotative speed in the respect of approaching greaterconstancy of that speed at greater liquid throughput velocities.

This objective is accomplished by provision for by-passing a portion ofthe liquid from rotative influences on the rotor-governor, so that thefull driving capacity of the total liquid flow will be reduced to apredeterminable degree and the effective rotational speed of the sprayhead reduced accordingly. In this manner that speed may be kept adequatebut not excessive, whatever the liquid throughput.

The invention and its manner of accomplishment will be most readily andfurther understood from the following detailed description of anillustrative embodiment shown by the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view showing the device in longitudinal cross section; and

FIGS. 2 and 3 are enlarged transverse sections taken respectively onlines 2-2 and 3-3 of FIG. 1.

The device is shown to comprise a tubular body internally threaded at 11to receive a cap 12 threaded .at 13 to receive a liquid inlet conduit,not shown, the body also being internally threaded at 14 to receive abottom cap 15. The body contains a fluid driven motor generallyindicated at 16 operable as later described to rotate a tubular shaft 17carrying a spray head 18 shown specifically, though typically, as beingball-shaped, having appropriate discharge orifices 19 and removablysecured to the lower end of the shaft 17 as by spring pin 20.

The motor 16 comprises a circular member 21 having a frustoconical face22 through which passages 23 having diametrically opposed inlets 24extend in the substantially parallel relation appearing in FIG. 2 andangularly as shown in FIG. 1, to diametrically opposed outlets 25 in theundersurface 26 of the circular member. As shown in FIG. 1 theperipheral portion 26 of the circular member is engageable against theannular body shoulder at 27 to limit axial displaceability of thecircular member inwardly of the body. Liquid delivered to chamber 28flows through the passages 23 and imparts to the rotor-governor arotative speed generally in proportion to the liquid velocity throughthe device.

The motor 16 may be regarded as having a control com ponent also in theform of a rotor-governor 29 accommodated for rotative and radialdisplacement about the circular member shaft 30 which extends down intobore 31 in the upper end portion 17a of the shaft 17. The rotorgovernor29 may be made of a non-metallic material such as Teflon, and is shapedas shown in FIG. 3 to have eccentric off-balance upon rotation.Specifically, the rotor-governor is shown to have an enlarged arcuatelyex tended side 29a and an opposed reduced side 29b and to be centrallyslotted at 32 so that upon rotation, the rotorgovernor tends to radiallythrow out relative to the circular member shaft 30 in the direction ofthe central radius of the enlarged side 29a. The latter contains theillustrated balanced circular arrangement of passages 33 extendingthrough the rotor-governor parallel to its axis.

The upper portion 17a of the shaft 17 carries a driving arm 34 securedto the side of the shaft by screws 35, the arm having an inner curvedface 36 engageable by the rotor-governor 29 as illustrated in FIG. 3.

In operation, liquid passing through and rotatably driving therotor-governor 29 impinges directly against the top surface of therotor-governor 29, imparting rotation thereto and causing therotor-governor to throw out against the driving arm surface 36, therotor-governor speed and centrifugal force against the driving arm beinggenerally proportional to the liquid flow through the device, and therotative speed thus imparted by the rotorgovernor to shaft 17 similarlybeing generally proportional to the liquid throughput. Flowing past therotor-governor, the liquid enters shaft 17 through openings 38 andpasses through the shaft bore 39 into the spray head 18.

The structure specifically described thus far is that of a known spraydevice having the disadvantages mentioned of tending to impart to thespray head excessive rotating speeds at higher liquid throughputs. Thepresent invention is concerned with so limiting the spray head rotationas to obviate excessive speeds at such higher liquid velocities throughthe device.

In accordance with the invention and its preferred embodiment, myobjective is achieved by causing a portion ofthe inlet liquid to by-passthrough the circular member 21 the rotor-governor 29 in the respect ofimparting thereto no consequential rotative effect by the by-passedliquid. Such by-pass preferably is formed by a passage or bore 40extending axially through the circular member and its shaft 30 so that aportion of the inlet water, predeterminable generally by the effectivetransverse passage area of the bore 40, flows directly from chamber 28through the circular member shaft to join the rotor-governor-actuatingliquid entering the shaft bore 39 through openings 38.

It has been determined in practice that the driving energy reduction dueto the liquid by-pass will cause desirably slower rotation of the sprayhead 18, while allowing the higher liquid throughputs and sprayvelocities required for various cleaning operations.

I claim:

1. A rotating spray device comprising a tubular body having at one end aliquid inlet, a circular member containing liquid discharge passages, arotatable rotor-governor rotatably driven and centrifugally displaced byliquid discharged from said circular member, a tubular shaft rotatablydriven by the rotor-governor, said shaft having an opening in the wallthereof for receiving liquid from the rotor-governor, a spray headcarried by said shaft, and means forming a passage through which liquiddischarged from the circular member by-passes the rotor-governor andjoins the liquid flowing through said shaft to the spray head.

2. A spray device according to claim 1, in which said passage extendswithin and through the rotor-governor.

3. A spray device according to claim 1, in which said circular memberincludes a head and a shaft extending through the rotor-governor, andsaid passage extends 3 through the circular member head and the lastmentioned shaft.

4. A spray device according to claim 1, in which said shaft contains aplurality of side openings which pass liquid from the rotor-governorinto the shaft.

5. A spray device according to claim 1 in which said circular memberincludes a shaft extending through the rotor-governor and into saidtubular shaft near a side opening therein through which liquid from therotorgovernor enters the tubular shaft, said passage extending throughthe circular member shaft to merge the by-pass liquid with liquidentering the tubular shaft through said side opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 0 EVERETT W.KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

1. A ROTATING SPRAY DEVICE COMPRISING A TUBULAR BODY HAVING AT ONE END ALIQUID INLET, A CIRCULAR MEMBER CONTAINING LIQUID DISCHARGE PASSAGES, AROTATABLE ROTOR-GOVERNOR ROTATABLY DRIVEN AND CENTRIFUGALLY DISPLACED BYLIQUID DISCHARGED FROM SAID CIRCULAR MEMBER, A TUBULAR SHAFT ROTATABLYDRIVEN BY THE ROTOR-GOVERNOR, SAID SHAFT HAVING AN OPENING IN THE WALLTHEREOF FOR RECEIVING LIQUID FROM THE ROTOR-GOVERNOR, A SPRAY HEADCARRIED BY SAID SHAFT, AND MEANS FORMING A PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH LIQUIDDISCHARGED